BLUEBERRY BLAST NOT ALL IN www.foodtechnology.co.nz 7 NEWS SNIPS Using exotic dung beetles to help address soil health and water quality issues in New Zealand is an option the Waikato Regional Council says has real possibilities Meat and dairy product manufacturing volumes and sales values rose in the June 2017 quarter, with Stats NZ saying an 8.2% gain was recorded after adjusting for seasonal effects and removing price changes Fonterra-owned Anchor light-proof bottles introduced four years ago amid claims of protecting milk vitamins with specially developed containers have been dismissed by Consumer NZ as unclear, misleading and without basis The export value of New Zealand wine has reached a record high, according to the 2017 Annual Report of New Zealand Winegrowers which says the industry is valued at $1.66 billion (up 6% in June yearend 2017) and New Zealand’s 5th largest goods export. THE HEAD Dairy-intolerance is real and not just a figment of sufferers’ imaginations, a new Liggins Institute study has confirmed for the first time. Research fellow Dr Amber Milan says dairy-intolerance is a physiological condition distinct from lactose-intolerance, and not ‘all in people’s heads’. “Lots of people suspect that they have some intolerance to dairy foods, but testing shows they aren’t lactose-intolerant,” Milan says. “Before this study, there had not been any detailed analysis of dairy-intolerance to see if something else could be causing it. Our findings show dairy-intolerance is a ‘real thing’ with a particular symptom profile - not something that’s just in people’s heads. That means sufferers and doctors can better identify it.” The study involved 40 healthy young women aged 20 to 30 who drank lactose and standard dairy milk, with researchers closely tracking digestion and metabolism. The lactose-intolerant women experienced flatulence, stomach-rumbling and cramping for a longer period (suggesting a small intestine issue); and dairy-intolerant women experienced symptoms such as bloating and distension earlier which subsided quicker (suggesting a stomach issue). “With these women, it was as if their stomachs weren’t digesting the milk as quickly. We need more research to identify exactly what’s going on, but we know that some nutrients affect the speed of digestion, like fibre or the type of protein; as can the release of hormones, such as insulin and appetite hormones,” Milan says. T&G Global is now the license holder of a suite of 16 commercial and pre-commercial proprietary blueberry varieties in Australia, with the exclusive agreement representing one of the biggest collections in the world. The agreement between the 120-yearold company and Plant & Food Research covers varieties developed by the latter, as well as premium varieties from Fall Creek Farm and Nursery in the US. T&G executive general manager Sarah McCormack says the company currently trades large volumes of berries from North and South America, New Zealand and Australia, as well as being a grower in its own right. “Fall Creek is a significant global player in blueberry breeding and propagation, and Plant & Food Research have had some real success in breeding blueberries for temperate climates,” she says. The agreement means T&G can drive further growth in one of its key categories through managing the supply chain from plant propagation to plant distribution and marketing. “We are looking to work with growers across all Australian states as the varieties are very adaptive to different growing conditions,” McCormack says. “We’re primarily looking for partners who, like T&G, adhere to SQF-Harps growing principles and share our commitment to ethical and sustainable growing.” Plant & Food Research group general manager commercial David Hughes says the arrangement is a natural evolution of very successful and longstanding commercial licensing relationships with Fall Creek Farm and Nursery and T&G. “We are excited about T&G’s commitment to delivering fresh fruit across a longer season, with more options for great tasting blueberries for Australian consumers from production in New Zealand and Australia.” T&G’s general manager diversified horticulture Damien Gibson has led the discussions with Plant & Food Research over the new agreement for the past 12 months and says it’s exciting to see it coming to fruition. “Plant & Food Research have been proactive in getting a lot of the pre-commercial work completed so we’re in a strong position to build from that.” The first plants will be available in early 2018, with commercial plantings from 2019. NEWS and creamy ‘not milks’ for all uses. Rodrigues says Stir caters for the lactose intolerant, vegan or people who simply prefer the taste of plantbased milk. “We are incredibly proud of the fact that we are far more environmentally friendly than dairy and tetra-pak plant-based milks that need to be used in a few days after opening,” Rodrigues says. Stir takes up much less space than your UHT cartons. The perfect size for every adventurous Kiwi, Stir will be great news for campers, boaties, caravan and bach lovers and others on the go with no fridge. All four Stir flavours come in 100g packs are available in the long-life milk section at leading supermarkets, Farro Fresh and Huckleberry stores nationwide
FT-sep17-eMag1
To see the actual publication please follow the link above